I had thought perhaps it was the commercial Uncle Mikes insert... in the past, we have had some bad luck with the SS inserts in aluminum (in a maritime environment) due to insidious electrochemical corrosion. Do you know what steps have been taken to prevent this? Has it even been a problem in testing? Or just not recommended for maritime operations?

I know and fully understand that "Mark" didn't do this for me, but I sure would have liked to have one on the other end where MY sling swivel goes... That would have been enough to push me over to the LaRue instead of a PRI for the GTS Recce/Rifle length forend I'm putting together. Very cool though.

Stainless Steel as with all their steel components. Machined in-house.

I had thought perhaps it was the commercial Uncle Mikes insert... in the past, we have had some bad luck with the SS inserts in aluminum (in a maritime environment) due to insidious electrochemical corrosion. Do you know what steps have been taken to prevent this? Has it even been a problem in testing? Or just not recommended for maritime operations?

No it hasn't and as with other LT products has passed independent Military Salt-Fog test.

Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property... Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them.

Stainless Steel as with all their steel components. Machined in-house.

I had thought perhaps it was the commercial Uncle Mikes insert... in the past, we have had some bad luck with the SS inserts in aluminum (in a maritime environment) due to insidious electrochemical corrosion. Do you know what steps have been taken to prevent this? Has it even been a problem in testing? Or just not recommended for maritime operations?

No it hasn't and as with other LT products has passed independent Military Salt-Fog test.

Stainless Steel as with all their steel components. Machined in-house.

I had thought perhaps it was the commercial Uncle Mikes insert... in the past, we have had some bad luck with the SS inserts in aluminum (in a maritime environment) due to insidious electrochemical corrosion. Do you know what steps have been taken to prevent this? Has it even been a problem in testing? Or just not recommended for maritime operations?

No it hasn't and as with other LT products has passed independent Military Salt-Fog test.

excellent idea...being a lefty I went with the two point sling route (via butchered 3 point slings) because standard 3 points have too much stuff hanging in front of the ejection port, and I never liked single point slings that much. Two point slings offer a lot of versatility.

I had thought perhaps it was the commercial Uncle Mikes insert... in the past, we have had some bad luck with the SS inserts in aluminum (in a maritime environment) due to insidious electrochemical corrosion. Do you know what steps have been taken to prevent this? Has it even been a problem in testing? Or just not recommended for maritime operations?

Can you explain why galvanic corrosion around a sling swivel insert is any more of an issue than it is around the barrel nut, receveiver end plate, etc.?

Originally Posted By SinistralRifleman:excellent idea...being a lefty I went with the two point sling route (via butchered 3 point slings) because standard 3 points have too much stuff hanging in front of the ejection port, and I never liked single point slings that much. Two point slings offer a lot of versatility.

So the placement of that swivel is solely for a two-point? Not familiar with that set-up...

Originally Posted By SinistralRifleman:excellent idea...being a lefty I went with the two point sling route (via butchered 3 point slings) because standard 3 points have too much stuff hanging in front of the ejection port, and I never liked single point slings that much. Two point slings offer a lot of versatility.

So the placement of that swivel is solely for a two-point? Not familiar with that set-up...

Can you explain why galvanic corrosion around a sling swivel insert is any more of an issue than it is around the barrel nut, receveiver end plate, etc.?

Happy to... as you know the corrosion occurs when there is an electro-coupling between two disimular metals, the salt water (or air heavy with the same) acting as electrolyte... the two metal become an anode and cathode and the sacrificial process corrodes the anodic of the two... based on galvanic series.

The other parts you mentioned are mild steel parts and are almost always parkerized, stainless steel is not parkerized (can not be parkerized) and often is only chemically "dyed" black or left untreated -- without the benefit of an oxide coating to mitigate the state of electro-coupling, the corrosion process is MUCH faster... Also (depending on the type) stainless often has more measurable difference between the cathodic and anodic states fo the two disimular metals.

Furthermore, the barrel nut, properly installed with greased threads and torqued, is not nearly as victim to the incursion of the electrolyte air/water -- guns that do live in this environment will display signs of corrosion under the receiver extension tube lock plate from time to time though.

There is some evidence that inserted items, such as press nuts, zirk fittings and perhaps sling inserts also have the sort of fit that promotes the potential for corrosion, wherein the clearance around the suspect part is loose enough to allow for the incursion of wet air -- but tight enough to promote the electro-coupling and withstand the introduction of displacement chemicals and POLs -- yet not tight enough to be "self sealing".

Originally Posted By Gunzilla:There is some evidence that inserted items, such as press nuts, zirk fittings and perhaps sling inserts also have the sort of fit that promotes the potential for corrosion, wherein the clearance around the suspect part is loose enough to allow for the incursion of wet air -- but tight enough to promote the electro-coupling and withstand the introduction of displacement chemicals and POLs -- yet not tight enough to be "self sealing".

So then, is the .Mil Salt-Fog Test simply a measure to see how long it will take for this occur, or something else? While I can see the intention, I don't think it is a huge deal.

They store jets in the Roswell sun/sand. I gotta think rifles in the Middle East will be GTG.

Originally Posted By Gunzilla:There is some evidence that inserted items, such as press nuts, zirk fittings and perhaps sling inserts also have the sort of fit that promotes the potential for corrosion, wherein the clearance around the suspect part is loose enough to allow for the incursion of wet air -- but tight enough to promote the electro-coupling and withstand the introduction of displacement chemicals and POLs -- yet not tight enough to be "self sealing".

So then, is the .Mil Salt-Fog Test simply a measure to see how long it will take for this occur, or something else?

Never did get an answer as to the standard of the test -- but the name "salt fog" implied the 810F standard testing. This testing is more about seeing "if" it will occur, vice when it will occur.

The published standard for 810F specifically says that it is componenet testing and should not be used as an indication or testing of "small parts" (fittings, bolts, inserts, nuts, etc). 810F is also not intended to be used as a reliability test or service life indication, as it is only an accelerated test -- the biggest problem with these is that you can in no way create the synergistic effects that are a fucntion of time, when you are operating in compressed time. There is also the fact that no lab can recreate the "real world", test operators of accelerated testing are cautioned that this is not and "artificial fleet"

That said, the salt/fog test is probably about as close to a real world test and one can get... the next step is to just see how long they hold up after we start dunking them in the brine and hanging them up to dry

Bottom line, no one can tell the future... I am confident that if a problem arises, Mark will make it right.

Bare aluminum parts must be anodized first before any steel hardware is attached. The acid baths used during the anodizing process will severely damage any steel parts. Anodizing prevents electro-coupling or electrolysis from occurring. This is not the first time steel inserts have been used in aluminum, the automotive and aerospace industries do it all the time.

Originally Posted By SinistralRifleman:excellent idea...being a lefty I went with the two point sling route (via butchered 3 point slings) because standard 3 points have too much stuff hanging in front of the ejection port, and I never liked single point slings that much. Two point slings offer a lot of versatility.

So the placement of that swivel is solely for a two-point? Not familiar with that set-up...

Originally Posted By SinistralRifleman:excellent idea...being a lefty I went with the two point sling route (via butchered 3 point slings) because standard 3 points have too much stuff hanging in front of the ejection port, and I never liked single point slings that much. Two point slings offer a lot of versatility.

So the placement of that swivel is solely for a two-point? Not familiar with that set-up...

It's pretty simple. You run a shot sling from the rear of the buttstock to the rear of the handguards. It feels like a three point, without the long strap running along the length of the rifle. It keeps the nylon out from the ejection port of bolt catch, depending on which side you run your sling on. I first tried it briefly on an M4A1 I got to shoot in AZ, and found it to be incredibly awesome

Originally Posted By misterjg:Bare aluminum parts must be anodized first before any steel hardware is attached. The acid baths used during the anodizing process will severely damage any steel parts. Anodizing prevents electro-coupling or electrolysis from occurring. This is not the first time steel inserts have been used in aluminum, the automotive and aerospace industries do it all the time.

yes... but east is east and west is west, the last oil platform I was around was conspicuously devoid of cars, trucks and spacecraft...

It is done in the maritime environment as well, but not without the knowledge that there is an associated problem -- often the anodizing is damaged by the mechanical insertion of the fitting (does not take much) and there you go.

Rather than deny that such a problem can exist, why not just rest comfortably in the knowledge that Mark was concerned enough to have the product tested and things seem well taken care of?

Originally Posted By SinistralRifleman:excellent idea...being a lefty I went with the two point sling route (via butchered 3 point slings) because standard 3 points have too much stuff hanging in front of the ejection port, and I never liked single point slings that much. Two point slings offer a lot of versatility.

So the placement of that swivel is solely for a two-point? Not familiar with that set-up...